This invention relates to the processing of poultry, particularly turkey, and more particularly to pre-rigor processing of the dark meat hind saddle portion. Specifically, it relates to a method of splitting the carcass immediately after slaughter and without chilling into a breast portion (white meat) and a hind saddle portion (dark meat), hot deboning of the hind saddle portion in a quick and efficient manner and subsequent processing of the dark meat. Such process completely eliminates all water immersion chilling and moisture absorption and retention limits testing for the dark meat saddle portion.
Present turkey processing methods include the steps of placing the birds on shackles and moving them along a processing path where they are killed, defeathered, eviscerated, washed and directed through water chillers to lower the temperature before being further processed. The whole turkey carcasses pass through pre-chillers and carcass chillers to reduce the body heat of the carcasses to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. The whole carcasses exit the chillers in a cut-up room where they are separated into parts. Some of the parts go directly to deboning and further processing. The time required to obtain deboned dark meat may be six hours or more. Once rigor mortis sets in the boning process is more difficult and may result in less yield. Also, boning in a rigor phase can result in muscle toughening when the produce is frozen and subsequently cooked.
In the present invention, after the final carcass wash in the eviscerating room, the warm carcass is split into a breast portion (white meat) and a hind saddle portion (dark meat). The break portion normally consists of at least one drummette and both halves of the breast, and the hind saddle portion normally consists of at least one drumstick, the back frame and the thighs. Testing has shown that excellent results are obtained when the hind saddle is hot deboned, pre-rigor, and the boned dark meat properly handled, chilled for preserving prior to further processing.
All dark meat deboned raw materials intended for use in an uncured product is chilled to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below within two hours from the time of slaughter. All other dark meat deboned raw materials will be cured and chilled to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below within three hours from the time of slaughter for subsequent use in cooked products.
Water chilling of the carcasses has many disadvantages. It prolongs the processing steps, makes deboning more difficult and results in increased processing costs. The provision of the hot boning procedure of the present invention eliminates the need to water chill. The bacterial count of the boneless dark meat is also reduced which improves shelf life of the product. Hot boning of the hind saddle improves muscle texture, color, flavor and other quality attributes of the subsequent products. It also reduces storage time and space, compared with conventional methods.
One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of a new and improved method for economically processing poultry by reducing processing time and space requirements.
Another object of the invention is an improved pre-rigor hot deboning process for poultry dark meat which results in improved product texture, color and flavor.
Still another object of the invention is an improved method for processing poultry which improves shelf life of the product by reducing the bacterial count of the boneless meat.
Another object of the invention is an improved processing method which results in a product having better cooking yield, fluffier texture after cooking, and better bite on eating.
A further object of the invention is an improved method for processing poultry which completely eliminates all water chilling of the hind saddle and all moisture absorption and retention limits testing.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description and claims when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.